Is there any proof that God exists?

Atheist View

All proposed evidence vanishes when investigated. It either turns out to be false, or it can't be verified, or it has obvious natural explanations and therefore is not actually evidence of anything supernatural, much less a god.

Christian View

The existence of human reason cannot be ultimately explained by appealing to non-rational causes. It can only be ultimately explained by appealing to rational causes.

Why does a calculator claim that 1 + 1 = "2" instead of "73" or "the color green"? Why do we trust the assertions of a calculator when we need an accurate answer? Alternatively, how would a Magic-8-Ball answer those same questions? If we ask a Magic-8-Ball what 1 + 1 is, we are likely to get an answer like "No" or "The future is not yet clear" or some other complete and total nonsense.

A calculator's answers are only rational because of the creator of the calculator.Ask yourself why you would trust the conclusions of a calculator, but you would not trust the conclusions of a Magic-8-Ball. The answer is that a calculator has been rationally programmed by a rational programmer to come up with rational answers. A Magic-8-Ball has not. A calculator bases its assertions on rational principles provided by its rational creator. A Magic-8-Ball does not.

A Magic-8-Ball's answers are the product of a lack of reasoned consideration. Its claims are generated by a combination of gravity and buoyancy rather than inductive or deductive thought applied to the question.

But a calculator's answers are only rational because of the creator of the calculator. If the calculator had been created without any kind of rational programmer, its conclusions would be no more reasoned than those of the Magic-8-Ball. Its claims would be no more rational than if no thought had been put into a reasoned conclusion at all.

Of course, you may ask a Magic-8-Ball a question that fits one of its predefined answers, and it may so happen that it is shaken just-so, such that the answer it gives happens to be correct. This does not make the answer rational. It does not mean that there is any justified reason for the answer. It certainly does not mean you would be justified in believing the Magic-8-Ball.

It is only without reason that anyone could hold beliefs that are generated without reason. And, if there is no God, then everything, including our own beliefs, are generated without reason. The only way we ourselves can possibly be rational is if we are rationally programmed.

A rejection of God is the most plainly irrational perspective anyone could ever hold.

Premise 1: Any belief ultimately formed by non-reasoning causes is ultimately believed without reason.

Premise 2: If there is no God, every belief is ultimately formed by non-reasoning causes.

Conclusion: Therefore, if there is no God, every belief is ultimately believed without reason.

When people say that if there is no God, then there is no reason for anything, they aren't just talking about some grand purpose for their own lives. They aren't just talking about some ultimate goal for all of reality. No, when we say there is no reason for anything without God, what we mean is that there is no reason for anything. There is no reason to think that 1 + 1 is 2. There is no reason to think anything at all. Everything -- every thought, every sentence, every single word -- is reduced to meaningless nonsense.

So why do so many people claim that God does not exist? Or why do so many people claim that there is no evidence for God?

The Bible again has the answer. It says that we as humans often prefer sin over truth (Romans 1:18). We often suppress what we know to be true in favor of falsehood because we prefer the falsehood! The falsehood does not judge us. It does not condemn us. It will not send us to hell. After all, if there is no God, I cannot be justly condemned by anyone! What a wonderful world that would be!

But suppressing the truth of our own moral obligations, and our own failure to live up to them (Romans 3:23), does not actually make those truths go away. One day we will stand before a righteous and just God, and we will have to account for our own disobedience (Matthew 25:32).

That's the bad news.

However, the good news is that our creator God is not only just and righteous, He is also forgiving and merciful. He has offered each and every one of us forgiveness, if we will accept the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on our behalf (John 3:16-18). Christ lived the perfect life that we should have lived, and He was executed by crucifixion, suffering the awful consequences that we each deserve.

He told us that if we trust in Him, if we have faith in Him, if we follow Him, we can be made right with God (Matthew 10:32-33). Then, He rose from the dead to prove that He had the power to do what He said He could do (John 2:22; Romans 8:34)!

You yourself can be right with God today -- right now -- through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9).

Pretending God isn't there will not make Him go away. It will only lead to an eternity of regret.

Comments

if by god you mean generator operator destroyer, then every breath received is proof. that is if you get out of it's way and allow it it's infinite space.

—
roger

No
God is probably just an unproved theory for all that we don't yet understand.
Belief with out evidence (faith in god) is just making up the answers. Why rely on your imaginary friend?

—
Atheist

Tim,

How do you know your god is rational?

—
A Philosopher writes...

That is NOT Proof of God's Existence!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isho/Yeshua Ben Hamashiach was a Failed Prophet & Jesus The Christ was an Invention of Saul of Tarsus.........................

—
sean

shut up for a second and ask yourselves a question... How can you survive without believing in something? God is a bigger escence than us, just like the universe. People that deny God are afraid of accepting different and supernatural things.

—
rational person

To answer this question, we would first have to define god. Are we referring to the Judaeo Christian God, Allah, Zeus? If the christian one, which denomination specifically as each says things a little different. Unfortunately, in all cases, there IS and HAS NEVER BEEN any independently verifiable proof of existence. Only personal feelings, and hear say.

—
thinkaboutit

You can't just assume that there has to be a creator.

The facts and laws of this world are not dependent upon a creator. Assuming that a creator has to be present and responsible for these things is outdated thinking.

Also, if you are right and there is a god, then which one should we worship? I have been through many religions, and they all claim the absolute truth. Even Buddhism does this.

It's really sad, because you have so many minds that are sharp, that are being devoted towards these ancient books, when they could be making extensive contributions to the fields of science, mathematics, and skeptical reason.

—
Harry

I've been told these things before, too. I remember hearing preachers say that Allah holds up glass cups of water on tables and that Allah is the one who makes the shadow follow the form under the sunlight. Both of these claims are nonsense. The table holds up the cup, the shadow is intrinsic to the form. No god required.

—
Harry

In addition, the Christian doctrine of original sin is nonsense.

We don't deserve the "awful" consequences that jesus supposedly endured. Many people are good people, moral people.

Also, putting people in hell for not believing in you is an evil thing to do. If there is a god that does things like this just for not believing in him, then he's a narcissistic, sociopathic god that isn't deserving of worship.

Morality comes from biology, and not religion.

—
Harry

Yes, i had experience with god. He actually override my thinking with his beautiful thinking very often. I experience the miracle for one reason that i should realise myself thereby realise paramatma

—
Naveen

if god isn't real, then why is dog backwards "god"

—
Persephone

Never Mind Them... " Seeing Is Believing " How Many Times Have You see your brain ?
therefore they are senseless beings

—
adegbehin

I agree with Persephone. God spelled backwards is Dog, dog spelled backwards is santa, santa spelled backwards is satan. Therefore god and satan are the same.

—
mephistopheles

Matter (the universe, earth, the sun, etc.) cannot come from nowhere. No one has ever seen matter created from nothing. This is the dead end for all "rational" systems. Even evolution essentially ignores this question because it doesn't match everything else in the theory. The God of the Holy Bible states that even without having Scripture, there are miracles all around us in everything that goes on on earth and in the universe. Why is man so different than the rest of the animals on earth? Just blind luck? Don't think so.

—
Red

The world is cruel, full of ignorant, prejudiced, easily swayed, deceivers, the deceived, immoral, unethical, and oppressive.

I've suffered every kind of loss, have been imprisoned unjustly, tortured, humiliated in undignified ways, been mistreated, brutalized, robbed, and left for dead by others.

In my short experience here, I have learned faith from the things I've suffered and have found courage to trust in a God who I believe would die for me.

From what I have been through, men aren't essentially trustworthy or moral or kind, but those who are, seem rare and valuable to me. Generally, I trusted too much in the "goodness of mankind" only to find myself disappointed and heartbroken.

And through all of this, I held on to faith that God would hear my case, set me free, and judge all these things. A tornado leveled my family's house, killed my innocent 6-yr old brother in my pregnant mother's arms, before I was welcomed to this horrible place. Yet I still have faith? Yes. I do.

Yes, there is proof, in every single heart. God makes Himself known equally to all, "so that in the day of Judgment no man will have an excuse."

If He didn't make Himself that obvious, then you would have an excuse and not be held accountable. Am I just stating the obvious here? Or are there really people looking for proof of something they already know in their heart to be true? An obstinate man denies the obvious. No one even needs anyone to tell them, because all already know, He exists, and judges everyone equally. Those who deny God are just making themselves known to all as playing games and being brazenly caught as naked. No one is buying it. We all know. You can't hide. We know what you do in secret as well, and it's pretty shameful to even mention. Put clothes on. It's a shame if you really deny the evidence we all have inside.

Am I the only one saying this?

—
David

That's got to be the poorest argument for god i ever read;
Even if i accept the argument it does not prove God is limited to being one- nor does it prove your god specifically, why not suggest Allah and Yahweh agreed the laws of rationality between them?
Or just concede all Gods are equally real.

—
william mcmillan

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